pictures of kite flying in Haiti with Easter

Kite flying is a tradition around Easter to be found around the Caribbean. It is also a popular activity by children in Haiti who are painting the sky with kites in all forms and colours the past few days. In Haiti flying kites is called 'monte kap' 

(NYT 06.03.2010): The Haitian boy’s kite starts with thin sticks — woody reeds or straight twigs scraped smooth with a razor blade and cut to equal length, about eight inches. These are lashed in the middle to make stars of six or eight points, sometimes more. Thin plastic, ideally the wispy kind from dry-cleaning bags, is stretched over the frame and secured with thread. Rag strips are knotted for the tail, then tied with thread to two of the star’s lower points: a Y with a long, long stem. More thread is tied to the kite’s taut chest, the rest spooled on a can or bottle. The kites are beautiful: some have layers of black and clear plastic forming diamonds and stars. Some have decorative edges, the plastic razor-sliced into piñata fringe. But they work, catching the breeze and jack-rabbiting into the smoky air. Small kites are notoriously hard to fly, but these are perfectly engineered.



Boys are flying their kites on top of a large pile of debris in Fort National - a neighborhood that is among the most violent and depressed in Port-au-Prince. Happy and excited faces.





At the steep slopes of Carrefour Feuilles many boys flying their kites. There is hardly any space in this neighborhood. The only space to fly a kite is to stand on the roof of a house. I must say that I haven't seen a single girl flying a kite over the past week.



Kites for sale in a badly damaged house by the earthquake in Fort National.





A kites seller packing up its kites at the end of the day at Route de Canape Vert.



More kites for sale in Port-au-Prince



A little boy in Chaloska, Petionville, walking around with its kite.



Two kites in the air in down-town Port-au-Prince at Avenue Truman/Gare du Sud.



pictures of some small corners in Haiti

To follow the political situation in the country, it is just a matter of reading all the writings on the walls. In the morning you read the names of a potential new Prime Minister, in the evening the name has been covered by paint. Besides the political expressions there are also many artistic outbursts which underline the enormous talent present in Haiti.

I pass this heart about 8 times a week. It is painted on a wall in Delmas, Port-au-Prince, Haiti in front of a house that has been damaged by the earthquake of January 12, 2010. The heart is painted in the national colors of the country. I always wonder who has painted the heart and whether it has been painted before or after the earthquake. Haiti, and especially Port-au-Prince can use some good hearts.

The first thing that strikes you when you are a new arrival in haiti are the colorful buses, which are called tap-tap. The colours, the text, the images leaves you with lots of questions. This video  gives you some answers. How beautiful the buses, how rough the drivers can be in traffic.





About 30km east of Jacmel, haiti, there is a little spot where fish is dried under the open sun. A peaceful place in front of beautiful blue waters and a small beach. Just the bbq is missing!

Before the demolition of the national hospital of Port-au-Prince, there were several sayings painted on the wall. This one in particular resonated with me: 'Oser, C'est encore l'un des meilleurs moyens de reussier'. In my words it means, to achieve your goals, you have to go out there.

The name of this neighborhood is 'Jalousie'. It is built at the foot of the mountain 'Morne Calvaire' where expats and the upper class of haiti is living. I have been told that the reason why this neighborhood is called 'Jalousie' is because the inhabitants are jalous of the people living on Morne Calvaire... btw - jalousie was hardly touched by the earthquake of January 2010.